5 tips on how to be patient

Photo by Daniel Schwen

Being patient is not a luxury. With how much there is to do every day, it seems like we spend an awful lot of time waiting around for stuff to happen. Think about waiting for the bus, or the mail, or standing in line at the grocery store.

With people too we need to practice patience. If you have children, you'll know what I mean. If you don't have children, think of other peoples' children and you'll know what I mean.

So how do you do it? How do you become a patient person? Below I'll give some tips on how to be patient for those out there who haven't got a clue, or just need a bit of patient advice.

1. Become religious. It's much easier to wait around for stuff to happen if you believe that God/Allah/the Flying Spaghetti Monster has a plan for you that is unfolding as we speak. If you are too old for fairytales, move on to 2.
   
2. Recognize that you have a problem. If you're waiting and hopping, biting your nails, looking left and right, swearing under your breath or, worse, swearing out loud, you may have an issue with patience. Recognize that this is perfectly human and you are now willing to change your misery.
   
3. Take a deep breath and relax. Recognize that the situation you are dealing with is beyond your control (or if it's not, ask yourself why you're letting yourself suffer without changing it, that's just weird!). Try to let go of wanting to control it and just go with the flow. Pay attention to your surroundings and try to observe where you are, who you are with, what it's like to be alive!
   
4. Use your time to let your mind wander. We don't do this nearly enough! Think of something you've been pondering for a while and give it your full attention. I bet you time will be flying by!
   
5. When dealing with difficult people (toddlers for example) try to imagine the other person's state of mind and point of view. Whomever you're dealing with may not be able to think straight (or not have the mental capacity to do so, like the toddler) or feel overwhelmed by emotion. Not a good time to loose your cool. Feel confident that this will change in a couple of hours (if you're lucky) or years (toddler-case).

I've been blessed with quite a bit of patience, but also with a child that's finding new ways every day to test it. Therefore, any extra tips you may have to offer, please shoot them my way!

Picking up where you left off

Right, it's been a while. Now that we've got that covered, let me say I want to pick this thing up a little bit again. I thought I'd just jump right in and give a glimpse of why I need Minutes Worth Hours now more than ever:

• I'm now a full-time stay-at-home mom of a 15-month-old
• My husband works full time
• Two weeks ago I started my own business as a translator/(copy)writer
• I try to keep a vegetable patch with my mother
• We use cloth diapers and practice attachment parenting

And yet, so my dear husband points out, I still want to do more more more. Obviously I find myself without time to do it and too tired to keep up with anything. Yoga? Hasn't happened in months. Ironing? Three loads waiting upstairs. 

But, I am happy. We've got the most important bases covered. We make enough to cover our expenses. Our baby girl can stay at home instead of go to daycare and, most important of all, she's happy!

So what's my advice for today?

While you're running behind on your chores trying to get everything done and realizing you can't possible manage ... take a breath. Reflect and see if you've got the main things covered that you find of importance. 

If there's anything I've learned having a baby it's that the details don't really matter. What you find important in life, that's what should take up your time and effort. 

In the mean time, try not to flinch when your friend glances at the dirty dishes in the sink. 

As a WAHM I've got some new tips and tricks that I accumulated over the months and will be sharing with you guys. One little piece at a time! Feel like sharing? Comment below or share on facebook to get the conversation started!

Moments That Matter Journal

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Forget about minutes that are worth hours. Some seconds in your life are worth centuries and then some because of their intense quality. They are the moments that make up your life and that, put together, might be the one movie you'd never get tired of.

Intense emotion has the ability to stretch time. And some moments have this emotional charge. Looking at my little girl's face, it seems like I'm floating into eternity. And anyone who's ever fallen in love knows what I mean when I say that a look can last a lifetime.

Today, I want to urge you to cherish those moments of pure living in the moment, and to write them down. Keep a Moments That Matter Journal.

Pick a notebook that you can keep on your bedside table (so the size of the notebook kind of depends on the size of that table). In nice, swirley letters, write "Moments That Matter Journal" on the first page. 
Now, every night, before going to bed, think of a moment that day that really mattered. One that you think will stick with you in the long run. 
Mind, this doens't have to be a 'happy happy joy joy' kind of journal. Life's made up of all kinds of moments, and the happy ones are only some of them. Moments of intense pain, sadness, fear, surprise, love, etc., all have a place. 

 What moment in the last week would make it into your journal? I hope you'll share in the comments below! Let me know you're out there!

Easter for Everyone

Posting has been a rare activity lately, I'm aware, but I'm not abandoning the blog. I'm just on pregnancy-birth-baby sabbatical.
In the mean time I sometimes lose track of all the tips that I've offered you throughout the year (it's almost the first anniversary of this blog), so I reread posts from time to time to remind myself.

Today I want to talk about Easter. As many of you know by now, I'm not religious, so Easter for me has no special meaning. What do I get with Easter? Lots of memories from the time I was a kid, mostly including chocolate (I'm Belgian, what did you expect?).

This year I celebrate Easter with my mind on new beginnings. Easter usually falls in that time of Spring when the first blossoms are blooming and the birds are building their nests. As I'm building my nest to welcome our baby into the world as well, I love to look outside and take a moment to notice the incredible power that inspires all this new growth.

After a cold, gray and harsh Winter, it's sometimes hard to imagine where Nature gets the energy to start all over again and create new life from seemingly nothing. But we know that the death from Winter is no more than a cover for the dormant life underneath. Deep within the roots of plants and within the bodies of sleeping animals is a patient power waiting for the right moment to break out and make a new start. 

After months of darkness and a lack of sunlight, we often feel drained as well. Keep in mind though that we also have this reserve of energy deep within us waiting to burst through. Observe yourself, mentally and physically, on the first sunny Spring day, and you'll know what I'm talking about. Know that this power is there to tap into whenever you want, just create that image of the coming sun in your mind and you'll start to feel your spirits lift. Go outside and be amazed at the buds bursting from the branches.

I'm going for a walk to do just that! Happy Easter, no matter how you celebrate, and a Happy Spring!

Write a Daily Gratitude List

Picture by Nannette Turner

One of the habits that I picked up last year was due to reading the book 'The Secret'. Some of the lessons of that book were a little far-fetched, and believing the universe will just give you anything you want is a little too easy for my taste, but I did take one advice to heart: to feel grateful every day for the things you already have in your life.

One way to help you focus on this is to write down the things you feel grateful for each day.

When you write your gratitude list and how you do it doesn't really matter. It's the effort of recognizing the things in your life that should be the focus of your effort. I like to write mine at the end of the day, going over the day in my mind again and feeling the joy and peace of mind that comes with reliving those special moments. I then fall asleep with a feeling of bliss and sleep better having put worries out of my mind.
But you could also keep the list with you and jot down things throughout the day as they occur to you. That way you will be reminded of seeing events in their most positive light and to feel lucky each and every moment.

Give it a try, you never know what it might do for you!

I don't think being grateful for what you have will necessarily get you more. It's not a quick-fix to becoming rich. But it does allow you to feel happier with what you already have, which will add riches of a much more worth-while kind to your life.

20 Things to Feel Grateful For Every Day!

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Recognizing the good in your life is a great short-cut to happiness. Finding out what you already have and how you really feel about it will show you that you may be much happier than you realize already. And to help you get along in counting the blessings in your life, I've assembled a list of 20 things we can all be grateful for every day (or at least the majority of us).

This list is guaranteed to cheer you up!

1. The fact that you're alive! Out of all the zillion possible human beings that could have been created, the fact that we are the ones that made it. Our parents met, they fell in love (or into bed drunkenly), out of all the possible combinations that could have come from that union, we are the ones that came into being. The chances of existing are so tiny that we should feel grateful every day to have made it.
   
2. To be living on a planet that not only sustains, but also provides for the life on it.
   
3. Your health.
   
4. For the food you can eat.
   
5. The ability to read, learn, experience life.
   
6. A brain that has the ability to comprehend its own magnificence.
   
7. Your family, the love they feel for you and you for them.
   
8. Your friends.
   
9. The roof over your head and walls around you that keep out the rain, wind or sunshine.
   
10. The clothes that keep you warm and protected.
    
11. The money that allows you to buy what you need.
    
12. The purpose in your life, be it work, study, taking care of the family or searching for a new purpose.
    
13. The kindness of strangers: a seat offered on the bus, someone who holds the door open, help bagging your groceries.
    
14. The warm fuzzy feeling of waking up and taking 3 extra minutes in a cozy bed.
    
15. A hot cup of coffee/tea/coco on a cold day. A smile when you're sad. A surprising ray of sunshine through dark clouds.
    
16. The amazing benefits of the modern world: your phone, computer, the internet, fridge, running hot water, etc.
    
17. The memories you can access whenever you feel like it.
    
18. The experiences that made you who you are today, be they bad or good ones.
    
19. The knowledge you have acquired over the years and how it benefits you every day.
    
20. The awareness of everything you can be grateful for.

It's not difficult to think of things to be grateful for. They will be different for everyone, but these 20 will be common to many of us. Being reminded of the things we take for granted can open our eyes to the wonders of life. 

Remembering Our Veterans

Photo by Tijl Vercaemer

Today is in both Europe and North America an important day. We remember the end of the World War I and all those who fought to protect their homeland and the homes of others. In Belgium and France, which both still carry traces of the trenches and where farmers still dig up bombs from time to time, this day calls us back to a time of horrors that are unknown to us now. But how do you get beyond the ceremony and find a meaningful way to personally remember fallen and surviving veterans?

A great way to pay our respects to the victims and the ones who lived through it is by looking around us and appreciating what peace has brought us. Notice the amount of wealth and stability we can live in, the many young men that are able to pursue other careers than those on the frontiers, and the feeling of safety that we can enjoy. 

But also take a moment to think about those who are still fighting and suffering in wars worldwide. There are people who wake up every day fearing for their lives, and the lives of those they love. Although their problems may seem far off, keeping in mind that our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers were in the same position can help us relate and connect. 

I find that it helps me to remember and appreciate if I try to do some random acts of kindness throughout the day. I pay extra attention to those around me to see if there is some small kind of suffering I may be able to relieve.

Do you do anything special on this day? Does it mean anything to you?

Fall Color Feast

Picture by Lee Cannon

It's that time of year when all around us the leaves are changing color. Every Spring and Autumn I'm torn between which season is my favorite, and this time I'm again noticing all the splendor of Fall in Yantai, China. It's probably the driest season here, which means that the leaves all seem to change color at slightly different times. So each tree has a whole range of different shades going from green to yellow, orange, red and everything in between.

Running around from one place to another, we don't always take the time to notice the changing seasons around us. It seems as if a year flies by unnoticed and we just need one of those little tricks to help us slow down time and make the most of every moment.
One of the ways to make time pass more slowly is by noticing the details around us more. It makes time expand in our mind at the present time and in our memory, because filling your mind with detailed memories of a certain day or couple of hours makes that time feel more intense after. That's why, in our memories, the weekend we spent sightseeing in France seems so much longer than the week of work before (for more on this see this post).

So take a moment this season to notice all the gorgeous colors around you and take a minute to breathe in the fresh autumn air! Sure, it'll come around again next year, but that's no reason to miss out this year.

Being more aware of the present moment is something I strive to about 50% of the time (aka when I'm not asleep these days).
Any other ideas of how to do this? Share your ideas, blog posts, articles, and so on, in the comments below!

5 Tasks that Take More Time than You Think

Instant Noodles (source)

We're notoriously bad at gauging time. If you've been with this blog for a while, maybe you remember the post I wrote about Time: a User's Guide by Stefan Klein. You can read the post here if you haven't yet.

We overestimate and underestimate how long something takes all the time. When we overestimate we end up with extra free time we didn't expect, which is nice, or put something of we could've done, which is not so nice. But when we think a task is much shorter than it really is in reality, we can end up planning too much and stretching ourselves too thin.
To avoid that, have a look at these 5 common activities that may take more time than you think. Next time you do one of them, try to time or pay attention to how long you spend on them to get a more realistic idea.

1. Getting ready, whether it's in the morning, to leave work or to go out, always takes time. My hubby and I often find ourselves rushing out the door because we turned off the computer at 7:15, which is also when we have to leave. Gathering your stuff, putting on coats and shoes and checking you got the keys are all tiny time-consumers not to be forgotten!
   
2. Checking e-mails (or online networks) is an activity that can take anywhere from 3 seconds to 3 hours. It all depends on where you let the e-mails take you. If you're going to click through links and check out stuff online, you're on the dangerous path to losing track. Instead, try to focus on responding to important personal/business e-mails before diving into newsletters and notifications.
   
3. 'Preparing instant food' is a deceiving name for an activity that is usually anything but instant. It takes time to get stuff together and unwrap/put in bowl/heat up/or whatever else you have to do to prepare your meal. I've found very little difference between heating up instant stuff and making a salad in the amount of time it takes me to get the food on the table.
   
4. Shopping without a list is dangerous. Not only will you undoubtedly spend much more than you planned and buy lots of stuff you don't really need, you'll also need more time as you remember things in random order and find yourself running back to the produce section 5 times in one trip. Use a grocery list instead!
   
5. When it comes to dealing with people there are no quick fixes. Whenever you need to discuss something with another person, make sure you have set out enough time to do it. Relationships don't benefit from being rushed, so show your love and respect for those around you by not underestimating the time it takes to communicate with them.

Time is precious and knowing how much time you need to spend on anything can be the difference between feeling frustrated and rushed or feeling calm and in control. Do you find yourself often losing track of time? Or do you notice that the time you've taken out to do some thing just doesn't suffice?

The "Right Time" Will Never Come

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There is no such thing. The 'right time' does not exist. Sure, you may have had those moments where everything just clicked: the work went great, you felt like you were exactly where you were meant to be, everything just happened naturally. But I bet your own mind played into it much more than you realise.

Waiting around for the right time can be a great excuse to procrastinate when you don't feel like starting a task. The typical movie-example is of a character waiting for the right time to tell the truth, which of course always backfires because by that time, that character's already been lying for so long it doesn't really matter anymore.

The idea that a single moment is better than a whole lot of other ones, and that we should instinctively be aware of this one moment, is a useless and paralyzing notion. Waiting around is a waste of time. The only time we ever have is NOW. We don't have yesterday anymore, that time has come and gone. We don't have tomorrow, that time will be ours later (or may not be, you never know) and it can never be ours this very moment. So the only time you ever have to do anything is right now. 
That makes right now the only right time you will ever have.

Are you postponing an important task? An annoying chore? A vital decision? Don't wait around for any other time but now. Make the most of the present moment and use it to the best of your ability. 

And that's my cue to get up and get to that pile of clothes to iron that's been waiting for me to decide the time is right.

Mind-map It in 5 Minutes

As a teacher of writing, I'm often confronted with students who are full of good ideas but just can't seem to get them down on paper properly. Usually they just start writing an essay from the top, and the reader has to dive into a stream-of-consciousness-like monologue that ends somewhere totally unexpected. Since college professors and test center examinators usually don't have much time to appreciate students' writing artistically, it's my job to hand some tools to these students for writing more effectively, more goal-oriented and overall much faster.
One of the things I teach them is to start with brainstorming and writing down all their ideas as quickly as possible. The easiest way to do this? Make a mind map.

The first one to ever introduce the concept of mind maps to me was a professor at Ghent University (Professor Martin Valcke, for those who know him). He taught about the science behind instruction, the different techniques, systems, different ways of testing, and so on. 
He also taught us, and showed us, the value of mind maps. 

To make a mind map, start with the most important concept or idea which you put in the middle of your page. Then, by association, link other ideas and concepts to it, and then again do the same for those new ideas. You'll end up with a system of nodes that will show you the relationship -and degree of importance of that relationship- of each concept to the other. The picture at the bottom shows you a very elaborate example of a mind map on time management.

Mind maps are a great, quick way to get your thoughts, ideas, plans or feelings down on paper and to create room in your mind so you can start using it more creatively instead of for storing information. It's a great learning tool as well! 

I'm just getting back into studying about mind maps and how to use my brain more effectively with the help of The Mind Map Book (Amazon link) by Tony (and Barry) Buzan. It's a fascinating read!

Picture by Jean-Louis Zimmerman

Double-Check Your Dates

Picture by Joe Lanman

Just a short message of advice for you today, one that I was reminded of on my trip lately.

We arrived in our hotel, only for the receptionist to tell me that I had booked the wrong date. This being China, I checked the confirmation e-mail I had received, and sure, she was right. I had booked a room for 10 days later.

I still have no idea what happened, but it did teach me a lesson (for the zillionth time) that I'd like to remind you of as well.

We wasted 3 hours calling around and waiting for people to check out at our hostel, before we finally got a room. That's three hours of sightseeing that we missed. And all because I forget to check the dates when I received the confirmation. 

So take your time in checking dates. When traveling, or making plans, keep a calendar with you and make sure that you check both the DAY and the DATE. That way you can also spot if someone else made an error in thinking the 20th was a Saturday instead of a Sunday, for example.

This is literally the work of seconds, and yet is forgotten more often than not. It may not be necessary in most cases, but the one time you're off, it can cost you a lot of time!

Are you someone who usually checks twice? Have you ever booked a hotel for the wrong date? Or worse, a plane ticket?

Five 1-Minute Back to School Organizing Tips

Picture by Christopher Webb

It's September 1st today, and in many countries that means the beginning of a new school year. I used to love these days when I was a student. Obviously, the end of the summer holiday is no feast, but it's a great time to take a new start at being efficient and productive.
If you want to make your year a success, it's important to start off the right way.
Maybe these 5 tips below can nudge you in the right direction.

1. Plan your time.
   Unless this is your first year in school, you'll have some idea of how much time you need to take for homework (doing or correcting), and other assignments. Set aside a specific time every week (or ever day) in which to do this. Write it down now! It's much nicer to get an unexpected afternoon off than to have to cancel a fun activity because you didn't have time to do your homework.
   
2. Organize your notes.
   Do this every single day. When you get home from school, put all your papers in order when you take them out of the bag. This doesn't take more than a minute, but saves you soooo much time at the end of the term when you're trying to get everything ready for the pre-exam cram sessions.
   
3. Keep supplies up to date.
   Nothing quite as annoying as running out of ink for your fountain pen, or staples for your stapler. Buy a double supply and keep it in a designated drawer of your desk. Keep it neat so you can see what you need to fill up on when the time comes.
   
4. Start a study/work log.
   A great way to motivate and track yourself is to start up a log of all the time you spend working/studying. Write down what you're working on each time. You can use a notebook for this, or a diary if you have one that provides ample space.
   Just jot down in short what you did so you can go back later and know how far you've progressed. Also a good way to find out what your high-maintenance areas are in terms of required study time.
   
5. Write down your goals.
   Think of what you want to accomplish this year, this semester, this month, this week. Is there something you need to work on? For me, self-discipline and clutter were big issues (long live this blog, forcing me to figure out ways around my own flaws). But it could also be balancing study and fun, or paying more attention.
   Paste your goal above your desk. Write it in your school diary. Keep it in mind.

I hope you have a wonderful new school year, and can find joy and excitement in figuring out this amazing world one small piece at a time.

5-Minute Yoga Routine

Eagle Pose in the Summer Palace

Finding time to exercise can be difficult, and even if you have free time, who says you want to spend your free hour working out? But I know many of you have that nagging feeling somewhere that you should be working out, or want to get fit.

I've found that yoga really helped me get back on the horse when it comes to regular exercise. I actually enjoy my work-outs, even if they're only 5 minutes or so, and I have noticed my body getting more flexible.

I can do yoga anywhere if I have a solid surface underneath my feet. For many poses you need a yoga mat, but you can also design a routine that doesn't require a mat.

Whenever you feel stressed, jittery or lack energy, try the following 5-minute mat-less yoga routine to get your energy flowing again:

1. Mountain: Start by placing your feet flat on the floor, toes spread out for balance. Stand up straight and control your breath.
2. Upward Salute: Raise your arms, with the palms together. Stretch and look upward.
3. Chair: keep your arms raised, but sink through your legs like you're sitting down on a chair. Great to create nice, firm thighs!
4. Standing Tree: bend your left leg, putting your left foot on your right thigh. Balance on the right leg while lifting your arms. Do the same for the other side.
5. Warrior III: stretch one leg back, and stretch your arms forward, putting your body horizontal, balancing on one leg. Same for the other leg.
6. Eagle: twist one leg around the other, and one arm around the other. Balance and sink through your leg until you feel it tensing. Then do the other leg and arm.
7. Extended Triangle: set your legs apart. Stretch your arms horizontally to the side. On an exhale, lean your right hand to your right foot, making an angle. The stretch on your side is phenomenal! Do the same for the other side.
8. Revolved Triangle: same, but in this case you move your right hand to your left foot and vice versa.
9. Wide-legged Forward Bend: keep your legs at the triangle position, but now bend forward (try to keep your back straight) and touch the floor.
10. Sun Salutation: go from lunge, to plank, to upward dog, and back to downward dog. See this site for a step by step guide to sun salutation.

In this whole routine, only your hands and feet need touch the floor at any time. So you can even do it outside, and not worry about your clothes getting dirty.
Enjoy!

Two-in-One: Combine Experiences

You know how much fun it is to do something you truly enjoy? Now how about doing two things you really enjoy at the same time? Double the fun, right?

There are lots of different treats that lend themselves to possible combinations. I got the idea for doing this while I was eating a piece of chocolate cake and thoroughly enjoying it. And then, all of a sudden, I got a whiff of coffee. The smell of the coffee together with the taste of the chocolate was just divine. I didn't have to drink a sip, and then eat a bite, I could enjoy both at the same time and make it a multi-sensuous experience.

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Of course, it makes sense that you would choose experiences that enhance each other rather than cancel each other out. No point in trying to listen to two songs at the same time, or talk to a friend while on the phone. That's not really what I had in mind.

So what kind of experiences really complement each other? Senses that often go together are smell and taste, and sight and sound. But there are many more possible combinations.
Have a go at the following few to see which ones suit you best:

1. Taste & touch: Imagine receiving a relaxing foot rub while indulging in a cup of your favorite flavored tea. Let the warmth of the tea and the warmth of your feet become one. Absolute bliss.

2. Smell & sight: I'm a sucker for smells. It can be a strength ("Is that Chanel you're wearing?") and a weakness ("Please consider deodorant before getting on a crammed bus.") But my favorite time to focus on smell is when I'm enjoying a great view out in the mountains or something. Watching that splendor and breathing in the earthy smell at the same time, makes me feel like I'm in the Garden of Eden.

3. Touch & Sound: My mind is often wandering aimlessly. Even when I'm trying to physcially relax, it can get in the way and make me drift off. But if I give both my mind and my body something enjoyable to focus on, all the pieces fall into place. Try combining the experiences explained in the posts corpse pose and musical minutes.

Of course you can make any combination of senses, and even add more to the experience. Many of our day-to-day experiences already combine several senses. Think of eating popcorn (taste & smell) at the movies (sound & sight). But there are some we don't often put together. So get creative and think about what you love and how to enhance the experience.
Have fun with it!

Feel free to share your ideas with the other readers here too. I'm sure they (you) would welcome them.

5 Reasons To Check the Weather Forecast

Storm over by Monday night

We've got a typhoon heading our way! By the time it reaches us, it won't be a more than a big storm, but still big enough to require some preparation (close windows, put screens up, etc). And how did I find out about it? We invited our boss out to dinner, and he said he'd have to wait and see what the typhoon did. I had to ask whether I heard him correctly. But sure thing, when I checked the weather report, it had the words 'typhoon' in bright red letters underneath.

Weather reports are one of those things we take for granted. Perhaps, we have forgotten how great they really are. 
It only takes you a couple of minutes to check a website that has the weather forecast. There's plenty of good ones available now. And what are the advantages? To name a few:

1. Save money. You don't have to buy another umbrella cause you made sure to bring your own when you saw the chance of rain. 
2. Be comfortable. You packed an extra sweater for that chilly weather on your holiday destination.
3. Plan ahead. You stocked up on groceries, so you don't have to run out in the snow.
4. Adapt. You postponed the BBQ, or got a tent, so your meat doesn't get soaked.
5. Warn others. Your neighbors, family and friends are eternally grateful to you for providing them with this excellent information! (Thanks boss!)

Are you a weather-forecast-checker or an I'll-take-it-as-it-comes kinda person? Have you ever wished you had checked the weather report, but didn't? Do you feel worse for knowing bad weather is heading your way?

I love to hear your comments (anyone still there?) and you can rate the posts below as well! Let me know which ones are your favorites.

Stop-Checking-Stats Challenge

This is for all you fellow bloggers and website owners out there. Something you have told yourself endless amounts of times, I'm sure, but something that keeps creeping up again and again. How do I know? That's pretty much how it works for me, and I'm nothing out of the ordinary.

Stats are the underestimated drug of the blogger. And yes, it's a drug. Stats are addicting, and bad for your health (mental health, mostly). They have yet to contribute to anyone's life. Okay, I'll give in a little. Stats have helped me on one account: I found out where most of my readers are based, so I can sometimes adapt my links to where most of you guys are at. But I could probably have guessed that anyways. 50% from Belgium ... where almost all my family and friends live.
So I'm going to quit. Cold Turkey. Who's with me?

I'm not a masochist, so I won't cut out ALL stat-checking forever. But I'm taking a big step: I am now allowed to check my stats once a week, on Sunday morning. 

How do you keep yourself from checking stats? If possible, block the pages you go to. If that's impossible (because even though you're a fervent blogger, you have no idea how to actually DO stuff on the internet (yes, that was a confession)), think of a punishment you can give yourself for every time you check stats when you weren't supposed to. I'm going to make myself wash dishes. Something I utterly despise. 
Alternatively, you can also reward yourself for not checking your stats all day. Like making your hubby do the dishes. Chocolate works too. DO NOT reward yourself by checking stats! 

So, are you in or out? Is this a problem for you or not at all? Am I completely neurotic for having a stat-checking issue? If so, be gentle in your comments! 

MWH Stats for all to see

Summer Projects

Picture by Pam Ramsey

If you are like most people (statistically speaking that's very likely), you probably have some hobbies that you loved at some point in your life, but don't really perform anymore. If you're anything like me, you could make a page-long list of former hobbies and interests that you discontinued a couple of months into them.

When I stop doing something I am (or was) really interested in, it's always with the fullest intention to go back to it someday. Someday I'll play harp again. Someday I'll pick up Spanish again (and French, German, Chinese and Italian for that matter). Someday I'll get into dancing again. Sounds familiar?
I think summer (or any season you happen to have an extended holiday) is a great time to relive some of your old passions.

Take 5 minutes to rummage through your attic. Get out those boxes, and dust them off. See if you can rekindle your previous passion, and if not, at least you can cross it off your list of unfulfilled intentions.
Summers carry a risk for me. I don't have to teach (or a lot less) so my days tend to get filled doing rather pointless stuff. An example? Yesterday I spent the entire day watching sitcom episodes, so in the end I had to write a Minutes Worth Hours post 30 minutes before it was due to be published. Not really the way I like to work. 

Finding something different to focus on, especially something that you are excited about but haven't done for a while, is a great way to stay energetic and feel like you're making full use of your time. It's finally the moment you can invest in doing what you love. 
If what you love is lying in the sun and reading a book, that's great! If you love watching the Tour de France, that's awesome! But make sure you choose how you spend your time, don't let it just slip by unnoticed, or in a couple of weeks, you'll wonder where the summer went.

What kind of things do you do on your free summer days? Do you take a lot of time to relax? Do you do stuff you can't do during the year? I always love to get some inspiration for a meaningful way to spend my free time!

Triple Inspiration: Kahlil Gibran Edition

It's Sunday again! The beginning of a new week beckons. Ready to be inspired to make the most out of every moment? You've come to the right place!

Every Sunday is Triple Inspiration Day here on MWH. You get three quotes that have taught me something valuable, and I hope they can do the same for you.  Today, the author of all of them is the famous philosopher and author Kahlil Gibran.
You can find the whole series of Triple Inspiration. through this link.

So, without further ado, here they are:

Get Productive!

 A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.
(Kahlil Gibran)

Get Happy!

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

(Kahlil Gibran)

Get Inspired!

"The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain."
(Kahlil Gibran)

MWH Travel Tips: 6 - Delete Your Pictures

Picture by Nimble Photography

It's a disease of the new age: holiday snaps that pile up on your computer endlessly. And let's admit it, do you ever get to going through all of them and selecting the best ones to put in a nice album? Well, we don't. Usually, it takes us months, sometimes years, to start organizing all those pictures.

One of the ways we've found to limit the amount of pictures to sort out, is by going through our camera at various times during the trip. This can be on the train or bus, waiting in the airport, or while our food is being served.

I suggest you go through your pictures as often as you can. We often get caught up in thinking that every picture we take is an invaluable memory, but remember those trips you took where two rolls of film was all you had? Now, does it seem like you have less memories from that trip because you took less pictures? Of course not! Your memory may be less vivid because of how long ago the trip was, but the pictures play no role in that.

Deleting your pictures as you go along will also help you save space on your flash card, although nowadays that's not such a big issue anymore. It will make a difference when it comes to videos though.

The major advantage is the experience of going through your pictures when you go home, however. Now, you only have to look through the good pictures, and choose which ones of those to keep. Or, just keep them all!

Going through your pictures while on the trip, is a great way to enjoy the pleasures of that day again. You get to relive the experience and discuss it with your travel companion(s) or the people you meet. Traveling becomes a more intense and rewarding experience.